Tuesday, October 31, 2017

I'm going to straight out tell you I'm not a Thor fan, or a Chris Hemsworth fan. I'm not even a Loki/Hiddleston fan. I've watched the Thor films as part of the ongoing and soon to be amalgamated Marvel universe, but I definitely prefer GotG and Avengers (barring Civil War).

But I'll confess to being a tad more excited about Ragnarok. After all, the trailer had spaceships! There was much more of the GotG look to it, snippets of humour, and signs of Thor maturing and Loki's character developing, along with the chaotic relationship between the two siblings. Plus a villainess. Yup, I had high hopes.

And I wasn't disappointed. While the plot/storyline was maybe a bit shallow and the appearance of Dr Strange forcibly crowbarred in (why?!), Thor Ragnarok is a fun, action filled sci-fantasy romp around the Marvel Universe, a really bad ass villainess and heroine, a wonderfully camp and complex performance from Jeff Goldblum, a redeemed villain, and a couple of teasers in the end credits. Considering it was almost as long as Bladerunner 2049, it didn't feel like it. My only real complaint is the music also seemed to be trying for the cult status and popularity of GotG but felt like the creators had chickened out in the attempt and as a result missed the mark. Still, it leaves me with even higher hopes for Avengers: Infinity Wars. I wouldn't say no to seeing a Hela origin film though, with that battle against the Valkyries only hinted at as a flashback in Ragnarok. I'd give it four out of five blasts for action and fun, but maybe only three for the plot.
Plus we had trailers for Black Panther (already marked as a must see) and The Last Jedi (we already have our tickets) but I was surprised not to see one for Pacific Rim. I'll be passing on Justice League - DC just doesn't interest me in the same way as Marvel, despite Wonder Woman.

Status UpdateUnexpected has now been out two weeks and received its first rating on Goodreads - 4*. Still waiting on some written reviews to know how its gone down with readers though.

Tomorrow sees the start of NaNoWriMo, and Hades help me but I've signed up. The itch to write has my fingers twitching to hit the keys, but my focus is mostly on easing back into the groove and playing with words, not on winning. I can't let myself hit burnout again, and with real life stable if uncertain, I need to take it easy. I have multiple short projects at various stages so I can switch around as needed, but I'm mostly hoping to finish up a collection of unpublished stories to make an anthology with my current ones. We shall see.
In the meantime I've already started work on next year's cosplay collection, including TWO for myself and one being a couples cosplay with hubs. I'm also cheating on another cosplay by buying in pieces rather than making them because of the complexities of the others (gimme a break!).

Chook Update

Last shot of Marvel

Marvel has gone to his new home, but Firefly and Pitch are staying in the nursery coop for now. I'd like Firefly to get a bit bigger before she has to deal with finding her place in the flock pecking order.

You can see how much smaller Firefly is than matriarch Scoop behind her!

Fizzgig now has a full set of feathers and has lost the robo-chicken look.

It's Halloween!
Okay, so in celebration of the holiday I have a post over at Romancing the Genres with five facts about my Halloween story Hallow's Eve (a sweet paranormal romance), and it's reduced to $0.99 (along with all my other short stories for the holiday).

Monday, October 30, 2017

Halloween is the spookiest and creepiest of all our traditional holidays, but what are the origins of this odd celebration symbolized by ghosts, ghouls, bats and jack o' lanterns? I did a little digging and here's what I found.

If you really *do* want to cue the spooky sound effects just to set the mood while you read, I have just the thing...

The Ancient History of Halloween

About 2000 Years Ago

The ancient Celtics celebrated the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) in the areas now called Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. It was a celebration of their New Year, which began on November 1st. The day heralded the harvest and the end of the warm days of summer to usher in the cold and dark of winter. Times were hard, and winter was often associated with death. The Celts believed on this night that bridged the new year, the barriers became blurred between the worlds of the living and the dead and ghosts would return to walk the Earth to cause mischief and damage crops.

But the Celts also believed the presence of spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to see into the future. These prophecies became a great source of comfort during their long, cold winters. During Samhain, the Druids built great bonfires and the people gathered around wearing costumes of animal heads and skins to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. Once the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires from the remains of the bonfire which they believed would help protect them through the coming winter.

43 A.D.
By this date, the Roman Empire had conquered most of the Celtic territory and would continue to rule for approximately four hundred years. During that time, two festivals of Roman origin became combined with the traditional Celtic Samhain.
The first of these was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans honored the dead. The second was to honor the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, Pomona, whose symbol was the apple. Two thousand years later that tradition is present in “bobbing” for apples that is still practiced today at Halloween parties.

May 13, 609 A.D.
Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to honor Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of "All Martyrs Day" was born in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1.

9th Century, A.D.

When the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands, it gradually combined with the older Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the church made November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead, possibly an attempt to replace the ancient Celtic festival.
All Souls Day was similar to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and people wearing costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints Day was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse which meant All Saints’ Day) and they began to call the night before All-Hallows Eve, and, eventually, Halloween. On Halloween, people feared that ghosts came back to walk the earth, and they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by the spirits, they wore masks so the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. People would also place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from entering their homes.

Colonial America
Though the celebration of Halloween was frowned on in colonial New England because of the strict Protestant beliefs, Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. Soon European ethnic customs began to blend with Native American traditions, and a colonial version of Halloween began to take shape. The first celebrations included public "play parties" to celebrate the harvest, where stories of the dead would be shared and fortunes were told, along with singing and dancing. The telling of ghost stories was also a popular activity.

19th Century

Autumn festivals became common, but Halloween was still not yet celebrated everywhere in the young country.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, a flood of new immigrants, especially those from Ireland due to the Irish Potato Famine, brought with them popular celebrations of Halloween.
Trick-or-treating had roots in
Irish and English tradition, where people dressed up in costumes to go house-to-house asking for food or money. The Irish also brought another tradition. In their homeland, they had hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets to place a light inside as a means to ward off evil spirits and keep "Stingy Jack" away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns, which later led to the custom of carving pumpkins.

Late 1800s
Halloween began to be a holiday that was more community-centered with neighborhood get-togethers rather than focusing on spirits, pranks and bonfires. By the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the usual way to celebrate. Games, foods of the season and festive costumes were a big part of the celebration.
Parents were urged to remove anything “frightening” or “grotesque” from the Halloween celebration. Halloween soon lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones.

1920s - 1930s

Halloween evolved into a community-centered holiday, with parades and parties. Unfortunately, vandalism also began to plague the holiday. Trick-or-treating became an effective way for a community to share the Halloween celebration and families could prevent "tricks" by providing the neighborhood youth with treats. It probably had roots in All Souls’ Day parades in England, where poor citizens would beg for food and be given pastries called “soul cakes” in return for a promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. This was called “going a-souling.” Whatever influenced its origins, the new tradition of trick-or-treating continued to grow in popularity.

1950s
By the mid-century, leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday mainly for the young of age. The high numbers of young children due to the post-war "baby boom" made the celebrations popular, and they were often held in classrooms or homes.

Today
Americans spend an estimated $6 billion each year on the Halloween celebrations, candy, costumes and decorations, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday after Christmas.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick tour of Halloween History down through the centuries. Here's a musical blast from the past that celebrates a slightly more modern version of all things Halloweenish.

_________________________________________________________﻿

And because it's almost Halloween, I have a very special TREAT for you!

The Science Fiction Romance One site has organized a SFR Halloween Readers Appreciation Giveaway drawing for your choice of a Kindle Fire or Paper White PLUS over a dozen SFR titles! It's easy to enter via Rafflecopter. Just click the link above to see the sponsoring authors and books, then click the link at the bottom of the page to go to the entry form. Happy Halloween from Science Fiction Romance One!

If you celebrate October 31st, then however you observe it, have a frightfully fun Halloween!...and have a great week!

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Welcome back for the second installment of Snippet Saturday. This week I'm featuring another passage from my story in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 collection which is now a USA TODAY Best Seller!

Last week, we found the hero and heroine of Courting Disaster had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start over the accommodations for the heroine's pet StarDog, Luna.

“Right,” Jagger said, reaching
for the crate. “We need to get underway. I can stow the animal while you get
settled in your quarters.”

Now her black eyes snapped with
alarm. “You won’t be stowing her anywhere. She stays with me. And her name is
Luna.”

No Sundog—or whatever she’d
called the creature—was going to have free run of his ship. “I’m sorry, ma’am,
but we have strict protocols regarding live cargo.”

“With all due respect, Captain,
it seems your military protocols have been thoroughly dispensed with for this
mission. Luna stays with me.”

So this beautiful face had a bite
to it? He didn’t like making exceptions, but he owed a lot to Jaeo, and by
extension, his family. Jagger backed off a step, dropping his voice a full
octave to rumble, “Noted. I can allow it a trial, but if it causes any
mischief, I’ll insist it be confined.”

“She won’t be any trouble.” Ketsia lowered her head to soothe the
creature in a voice soft with affection. “Will you, baby?” That gentle lilt
caressed Jagger’s awareness like a whisper, making his imagination fire and his
traitorous pulse rate spike.

Lock it down! He gave his face a mental slap. Even if women were still on your menu, this one is totally off-limits.

Ketsia lifted her chin, and her
black gaze returned to his face. “So, as I understand it, we’re supposed to be
married?”

Jagger managed not to choke on
his tongue. “Pardon?”

“I was told in case of trouble,
our story is that we’re Dallan and Adey Tion, a bonded pair of independent
freighters, transporting seeds to the new colony on Arst.”

“Now there’s a brilliant cover.”
Jagger huffed out a breath and donned his helmet, snapping the chin strap into
place. Not bad enough that they’d given him a shoddy relic to fly, but they’d
married him off, as well?

Ketsia lowered her head, but her
eyes remained fixed on his faceplate. “They didn’t tell you this?”

“Only the essentials for now, due
to the short window.” Jagger subconsciously ran a hand over the code card in
the thigh pocket of his coveralls. As soon as they disembarked, he’d pull the
datacube and get up to speed.

She was questioning his fitness?
“Ms. Mennelsohn, if you have any doubts about my qualifications or my
suitability—”

“It’s Ms. Tayah.”

“—then it’s your prerogative to
request a different escort. But the truth is I’m woefully overqualified to carry out my orders.”

She lifted an eyebrow and crossed
her arms. “I’m aware of your sterling qualifications, Captain.”

He returned her glare, satisfied
the faceplate concealed the ire heating his face. She wouldn’t hear it in his
words. “Further, Ambassador Mennelsohn specifically requested me for this
duty.”

“Ambassador Gant. He hasn’t gone
by Mennelsohn for many calendars.” She peered up at him dubiously.

He met her skepticism with a deep
frown. “I’m aware of that.”

“Could you please take that off?”
she asked quietly. “Because I feel like I’m talking to a machine.”

A machine, was he? With one quick
swipe at the catch under his chin, Jagger clamped his hands on the sides of the
helmet and lifted it free of his head, stowing it under one arm.

“I imagine—”

He savored the satisfaction of
seeing her eyes widen and her mouth part slightly, truncating her thought.

His subspecies tended to sport
sharp, pinched features and a pronounced beak for a nose. Jagger’s face was
atypical for his kind. Most women found him attractive, and downright alpha when
his eyes went stormy. Miss Rathskian Ambassador’s Daughter appeared to be no
exception.

Thanks for joining me for Snippet Saturday. I hope you enjoyed this snippet from Courting Disaster: StarDog 2. It's one of 12 science fiction romance stories in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 written by bestselling and award-winning authors. You can find it here:

Order now and 10% of the profits will go to Hero Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs free of charge to military veterans. Ends at midnight on November 11th--Veteran's Day. Just two weeks from now!

Friday, October 27, 2017

Daydreaming is an occupational hazard for writers. In fact, for most of us, it’s a prerequisite for the job. The
ability to let your mind go, to wander where it will and collect those plot
bunnies and character profiles, is a necessary skill when the task you’re given
is to create something out of nothing.

But that talent is not always appreciated. I
always did well in school, but I succeeded despite a tendency to stare out the
window, lost in my own world. (Teachers prefer that you pay attention to them
for some reason.) I’ve also been known to slip in and out of a group conversation,
requiring my companions to snatch me back to Earth. Fortunately, I have tolerant
friends.

But now comes scientific proof that
daydreaming is a sign not of attention deficit (though that can be the case,
too) but of intelligence and creativity. A study from the Georgia Institute of
Technology suggests that a "[p]eople with efficient brains may have too
much brain capacity to stop their minds from wandering,"according
to Eric Schumacher, the Georgia Tech associate psychology professor who
co-authored the study with Ph.D. candidate Christine Godwin.

Schumacher and his colleagues studied the
brain patterns of 100 people as they lay in an MRI focusing on a single point
for five minutes. They then compared this data with information gathered from tests
that measured intellectual ability and creativity and questionnaires about how
much the subjects’ minds wandered in daily life. Subjects who reported more
daydreaming scored higher on intellectual ability and creativity. Their brain
patterns also showed more efficiency in the MRI test. (Parts of their
brains worked together more smoothly to focus on the fixed point.)

Schumacher says the results show higher
efficiency means the brain may be free to wander when performing easy tasks. That
is, the smarter you are, the more likely you are to daydream.

"Our findings remind me of the
absent-minded professor—someone who's brilliant, but off in his or her own
world, sometimes oblivious to their own surroundings," said Schumacher.
"Or school children who are too intellectually advanced for their classes.
While it may take five minutes for their friends to learn something new, they
figure it out in a minute, then check out and start daydreaming."

Of course, Schumacher and his colleagues
admit further research is needed to determine when daydreaming may be helpful
and when it may be harmful. (My attention-deficit daughter, for example, is
highly intelligent, but school was very difficult for her. Too much daydreaming is not a good thing.)

In the meantime, I’ll continue to use my
daydreaming skills to come up with wild ideas for my next novels. Just be aware
you may have to drag me back to the conversation from somewhere in outer space.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Today I welcome another of the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 authors, Jessica E. Subject, who is well-known in the science fiction romance community, to tell a story about an adventure she had with skinks!
_______________________________________________________

I have had at least one pet for as long as I can remember. But, over the years my strangest animal encounters have always been with lizards. I’ve never been grossed out by snakes, lizards, frogs, or any other type of reptile or amphibian. But, they don’t listen the way a dog or cat would.

My grandparents used to live in a house located in a provincial park here in Ontario. Every summer as children, my brother and I visited them there for at least a week. One of the stops we made while there was to the Visitor’s Center. It was far away, and often we had the opportunity to feed the snakes and hold them around our necks. We also would go out to the forest nearby to see what kind of creatures we could find. One day I found two skinks under a log. I was proud of my find and decided to take them back to the Visitor’s Center to see if they could use them in a display. I had them cupped in my hand and held them against my shirt. It didn’t take long before I reached the Visitor’s Center, but when I arrived the skinks were no longer in my hand. They had disappeared. I didn’t remember feeling them slither out of my hands, and became worried that I’d stepped on one or both as I’d made my way out of the forest.

Then I felt one move. It was on my stomach. In fact, both of them were there. They had crawled out of my cupped hands and under my shirt. We managed to get them peeled off my stomach and they were put in a habitat display at the Visitor’s Center. Though, that was the last time I brought any skinks back.

A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.

Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.

With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?

About the anthology:

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

EXCERPT:
A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.

But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”

Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”

“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.

A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off.

Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.

“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”

“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”

Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”

The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”

“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”

“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.

“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

My post about Nor-Con is a tad later than even I planned, but better late than never, right? This will be a photo heavy post - since I didn't get time to make myself a new cosplay for this year, I set myself a challenge to photograph as many fellow Star Wars cosplayers as possible - actually a tough ask between touring the merchandise, the cosplay contest, photo sessions and talks. But I have to give them a huge thank you for posing for shots, and especially those who invited me to join them in the pictures.

Yay for female pilots!

A hint at an alliance for TLJ?!

How cool is that double bladed lightsaber?!

Extra special thanks to CRITIT.CO.UK (Bespoke & New RPG Gaming Accessories) for not only the photo but the loan of one of their very cool customs made lightsabers!

Eldest with the very lovely Anjli Mohindra (Rani in The Sarah Jane Adventures, a Doctor Who spinoff)

Me with Chris Barrie, the very nice chap who plays the not so nice Rimmer in Red Dwarf

And me with the absolutely lovely Femi Taylor (Lola the Twi'lek dancer from Jabba's Palace in ROTJ). She was so sweet!

This year Nor-Con was held over two days but we only attended the second. It was apparently a quieter day but still well attended. We went Sunday as that was the only day Toyah Willcox (80s singing icon) was there, and hubs is a huge fan.

And we finally got hubs to join in with the cosplaying! After being drafted to help with the Witch-king mask and moving on to do the sword and flail, and going to Invasion Colchester, hubs gave in to the dark side. Virtual cookies if you can guess who he's cosplaying... (psst, it's not science fiction).

He's already picked a cosplay for next year (we really have got him hooked, lol), and it even came with an option to do a couples cosplay. Even better, I learned the actress playing Kala wasn't that far off my current age when she played the character so I won't feel like I'm out of my depth trying to pull it off.

General Kala and Klytus, Flash Gordon

Status Update
Life has grown another curve ball for me so I have no idea where my writing/publishing will be headed. I'd actually started writing again, and I'd signed up to NaNoWriMo to try completing a few loose ends, but not expecting to hit 50K. It's just a little motivation to try to finish what needs finishing. Whether I will take part or not...well, I can't be sure of anything. But I did release something new for 2017 (just about - it's been 19 months since I released anything other than my reissue of Gethyon).

Chook Update
Effie decided to surprise us and make up for her weeks of broodiness and motherhood by laying eggs long after we thought they'd finished for the year.

Chick Update
Marvel and Firefly will be eight weeks old on Thursday, and Marvel already has a forever home with some hens of his own lined up. He'll be off to his new coop in just two days time. Sad to see him go but his new owner sent me photos of the two young girls he'll be joining - a pair of frizzle Pekins only a couple of weeks older than him - so I know he's going to have a great life. Firefly will stay with Mama Pitch in the nursery coop until we've built the new coop and run, at which point all our girls will move in together.

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Welcome to Spacefreighters' Lounge

Pull up a hoverchair and have a Billins. :)

This blog is named in honor of the seedy tavern on the planet Dartis in Inherit the Stars where Laurie's MC Sair originally began his journey--before her critiquers compelled her to trash the Star Wars cantina opening. [See post entitled: From Whence Came the Nameclick to see the excerpt.]

Not being one to give up on a theme, a new Spacefreighters Lounge manifested itself on the planet Banna in a later draft--reincarnated as a slightly more respectable locale.